WASHINGTON, Jan 18 (KUNA) -- US President-elect Donald Trump said Saturday he plans to sign "a record-setting number" of executive actions when he takes office to deal with, inter alia, wildfires, undocumented immigrants and social media.
In a phone interview with NBC News' "Meet the Press" two days ahead of his inauguration, Trump said he still hasn't determined how many executive actions, but he believes it will be "a record-setting number." He noted that mass deportations and a trip to Los Angeles to visit the wildfire damage will be on the agenda in his first week in office.
Trump reiterated that mass deportations of undocumented immigrants would be a top priority for him, without giving an exact date or city where they'll start.
"It'll begin very early, very quickly. I can't say which cities because things are evolving. And I don't think we want to say what city. You'll see it firsthand.
"We have to get the criminals out of our country. And I think you would agree with that. I don't know how anyone could not agree," he said. On the TikTok ban - set to go into effect on Sunday after the Supreme Court upheld a bipartisan law, he said, "I think that would be, certainly, an option that we look at," he said.
"The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it's appropriate. You know, it's appropriate. We have to look at it carefully. It's a very big situation," he explained.
President Joe Biden's administration has signaled it would not enforce the ban and would leave implementation to Trump, who is set to take office the next day.
Regarding Los Angeles wildfires, Trump said he will likely visit Los Angeles next week to address the wildfire damage.
He said his team will be looking at it from different "standpoints," adding, "We're going to be demanding that the water be released from the north into the lower parts of California." Trump said he will "probably" be going out there "at the end of the week." "I was going to go, actually yesterday, but I thought it would be better if I went as president. It's a little bit more appropriate, I suspect," he added.
Commenting on Gaza ceasefire-hostage deal, Trump said he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "Just keep doing what you have to do. You have to have - this has to end. We want it to end, but to keep doing what has to be done." Trump said he'll be meeting with Netanyahu "fairly shortly" but would not give more details about it.
Trump also talked about how his administration will make sure the ceasefire holds, saying it will be by "good government." "Respect. The United States has to get respected again, and it has to get respected fast. But respect is the primary word that I use," he said.
"If they respect us, it will hold. If they don't respect us, all hell will break out," the President-elect made clear.
Under the deal, 33 Israeli hostages - held in Gaza, are set to be released in exchange for 1,904 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. (end) amm.gb